Animal-poke



(No Model.)

1). s. MORISON.

ANIMAL POKE.

No. 458,476. Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

UNITED STATES 'ATEN'T FFICE.

. DAVID S. MORISON, OF ESTILLVILLE, VIRGINIA.

ANlMAL-POKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,476, dated August 25, 1891.

Application filed December 1, 1890. Serial No. 373,215- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID S. Monrson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Estillville, inthe county of Scott and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal-Pokes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which-it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in animal-pokes; and it consists in the improved construction and arrangement or combination of parts hereinafter fully disclosed in the description, drawings, and claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved device of this character which will be simple in construction, very light, strong, durable, and not liable to get out of order, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, easily manipulated or adjusted and efiective in use or operation when applied to the necks of animals. This object is accomplished by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which the same referencenumerals indicate the same parts, and in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved animal-poke, viewing the same from the rear of its right side; Fig. 2, a similar view of the same, viewing it from the front of its left side; and Fig. 3, a detail view of a modified form or construction of the tie-rods.

Referring to the parts of my invention as illustrated in the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the outer bow, which is formed integrally with the downwardly-projecting extensions 2, which are adapted to engage with the bars or rails of a fence and prevent the animalfrom jumping overor breakingthrough the same. This bow and its extensions are made from a strip of elastic wood for the purposes of securing lightness and permitting said bow, which is formed by reducing the thickness of said wooden strip along its central portion for about one-third of its length, to be bent or adjusted to suit different shapes and sizes of the necks of animals. At and near the points of termination of this reduced portion or bow and the commencement of said extensions are formed the seseries of holes 3, which are bored through them laterally or at right angles to their front and rear faces. Adjacent to these holes and at right angles thereto is formed another series of holes l. The inner bow 5 is constructed of the same material as and in a manner similar to the outer bow 1, with the exception that it is shorter than the latter and its extensions. In other words, it is cut off at points a little below the lower hole of the series of holes 4. This bow 5 has the series of holes 6 bored through its lower portion or ends, said holes being arranged in alignment with the series of holes 4, formed their holes by the removable wedges 10 or screw-threaded and provided with nuts, the same as the modified form of construction of the tie-rods 11, one of which is shown in Fig. 3. These tie rods 11 may be passed through either the upper or lower holes of the transverse series of holes 3 and 7 formed, respectively, at or near thelower portions of the outer and inner bows 1 and 5 for the purpose of adj usting the latter upon the necks of the animals to accord with their vertical dimensions; also, these rods are provided at their opposite ends with the heads 12 and the series of holes 13, and through the latter are passed the removable pins or keys 14:, which, by changing their positions in said holes, will permit the elastic bows to expand or cause them to contract to conform to the lateral dimensions of the differently-sized necks of animals. result can also be accomplished by using the tie-rods having the construction of the one shown in Fig. 3, which is provided with the head 12 at one end and with the screw-thread 15 and nut 16 at its other end. The rear tierod is arranged in a. lower plane than the front one, so as to permit the inner and outer brace-bars may be either split and held in i This bows and the extensions of the latter to swing or move rearwardly upon the neck of the animal, and thus not interfere with its feeding or grazing; also, as the inner bow rests against the breast of the animal, this arrangement of the tie-rods when the head and neck of the animal are raised will cause the lower ends of the extensions of the outer bow to project forwardly or engage the bars or rails of the fence, and thus prevent the animal from jumping thereover.

lVhen it is desired to apply my improved poke to the neck of an animal, it is only necessary to remove the tie-rods, which will leave an uninterrupted space between the bows. Then spread the bows and extensions apart or outwardly, so as to widen the space between their inner sides and permit them to be passed over the neck of the animal. Then reinsert said tie-rods into the upper or lower holes therefor, and then,0r finally, so adjust keys or nuts at the ends of said rods as to cause the elastic bows to be contracted or expanded to conform to the size and shape of the neck of the animal.

The advantages of my improved animalpoke, as partly mentioned above, are that its several parts are made of strong elastic wood, such as hickory; that it is light and can be worn by animals with as little inconvenience to them as is intended; that it is inexpensive to manufacture; that its parts are readily renewable in case of breakage, and that its parts can readily be taken apart for storage and transportation and as easily placed together when desired; that its parts are few, strong, and not liable to get out of order, and that, as a whole, it is safe for animals and at the same time very effective when under employment.

Having thus fully described the construction and arrangement or combination of the parts of my invention, its operation, capabilities, and advantages, what I claimas new is 1. In an animal-poke, the combination, with an outer bow formed with downwardly-projecting extensions and an inner bow, of shouldered brace-bars connecting said bows, and tie-rods,one connecting each bow transversely, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In an animal-poke, the combination, with an outer bow formed with downwardly-projecting extensions and an inner bow, of shouldered brace-bars connecting said bows, and tie-rods, oneconn ectin g each bowtransversely, the rear one being arranged in a lower plane than the front one, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In an animal-poke, the combination, with an outer bow formed with downwardly-proj ectin g extensions and an inner bow, of shouldered brace-bars connecting said bows, and adjustable tie-rods, one connecting each bow transversely, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In an animal-poke, the combination, with an outer bow formed with downwardly-projecting extensions and an inner bow, of re movable brace-bars connecting said bows, and removable transversely-arranged tie-rods, one for each bow, substantially as and for the purpose'described.

5. In an animal-poke, the combination, with an outer bow formed with downwardly-projecting extensions and an inner bow, of removable brace-rods connecting said bows, and removable transversely-arranged tie'rods provided at one end of each with a head and at the other end with holes and pins or keys ad- 3' ustably secured therein, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In an animal-poke, the combination, with the outer bow formed with the downwardlyprojeeting extensions 2, the series of transverse holes 3, and the series of holes 4, arranged at right angles thereto, and the inner bow 5, formed with the series of transverse holes 7, and the series of holes 6,arranged at right angles thereto, of the removable bracebars 8, provided with the shoulders 9 and mounted in said holes at and 6, and the removable transversely-arranged tie-rods 11. provided at one end of each with the head 12 and at the other end with the holes 13, and the pins-or keys 14, adjustably secured in said holes, said tie-rods being mounted in said transverse series of holes 3 and 7, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID S. MORISON. lVitnesses:

M. W. LIVINGSTON, F. A. MANEss. 

